Selected quad for the lemma: christian_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
christian_n	church_n	member_n	society_n	2,075	5	9.3482	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A44502	The reward of the wise: and the fruitful Christians future blessedness Opened at the late funeral of that piously wise and faithful, fruitful servant of God and our Lord Jesus, Mr. Thomas Moore of Whittlesey, interred at the church in Coleman-Street July 8. 1672. By John Horne of Lin-Regis in the County of Norfolk.	Horn, John, 1614-1676.	1672 (1672)	Wing H2807B; ESTC R217009	105,848	247

Rome tells us she only is the true Church the house of God and God and Christ and the Holy Spirit and this heavenly Wisdome is only in and with her and so to be sought for there only other Societies say they are the holy and only Church and the truth and true wisdome only with them How shall we know whither to go Ans Search the Scriptures God hath ●…aused them to be written for our instruction ●…n righteousness and they are they that testifie ●…f Christ and therein also set forth and de●…cribe to us his true Church and all that ●…retend to the name of the Church acknowledg that those Scriptures are to be received as truth by us which we have among ●…s being the Scriptures of God in which ●…e have Gods testimony which is sure and ●…ill not deceive us but makes wise even ●…e simple ones that attend to it and to God 〈◊〉 and by it and they tell us that they are the Church of God or children of it that keep the ●…mmandments of God and the faith of Jesus Rev. 12.17 And truly by them the Church of Rome above all the rest is discovered to be that Strumpet and Harlot that magnifies her self as the only Queen or Lady but loves not Christ but gives his honour to graven Images and such like devises of their own to his Mother after the flesh and other deceased Saints and keeps not but expugnes Gods commandments as the Second Commandment against making graven Images and worshipping and bowing down to them and the Commandment of Christ that all his Disciples should drink of the Cup in the Supper of the Lord they notoriously cast by obtruding upon men her inventions and institutions for Articles of Faith as the Popes Supremacy and Infallability Transubstantiation Purgatory and many other matters strictly enjoyning her own commands while she cast●… by Christs Yea she above all makes herself drunk with the blood of the Saints an●… Martyrs of Jesus So that the way to tru●… wisdome is to decline and come out of tha●… filthy Babilon The Reformed Churches a●… to their bulk are visible enough but ha●… their tares overspreading them too mu●… too and their divisions and fractions 〈◊〉 that in a manner we may take up that co●…plaint of the Prophet Micah in respect 〈◊〉 true and thorough Members of the Catholick Church Wo is me for I am as when they have gathered the Summer fruits as the grape gleanings of the Vintage there is no Cluster to eat Scarce a pure Church or greater Society of all sound Christians in every respect But yet we may find such as to the main Fundamentals of the Faith hold and maintain them and so far as any do so and put not upon us Doctrines and Practises inconsistent with them we may so far own and join with them And amongst such Churches we may by the light of Gods Word taken heed to by us meet with here and there two or three or more doubtless with whom we may have more intimate Fellowship and Communion in the Name of Christ Who hath promised His presence in any so small a company of those that indeed confess and fear him Matt. 18.20 So that if we cannot find a whole Nation of hearty Believers and real Members of Christ nor a whole Countrcy or City Yet if we find but any smaller company of such as take heed to the Word of God and give up themselves to worship God in Christ and walke in their conversations according thereunto we need not be at a loss for finding God and Christ among them to to give us Wisdome and Understanding in the knowledg of himself and with such we may walk without needless breaches or separatings from the National Church or owning and outwardly acknowledging the truth though mixed with Tares Mat. 13.28 29. As David though not renting from the National Church of Israel though not faultless Neh. 8.17 yet was also companion more intimately of all such as feared God and of them that keep his precepts Psal 119.63 and resolved to praise God both in the Congregation more generally and in the Assembly of the upright Psal 111.1 even as those that feared God in Malachies time without renting or dividing from their publick Assemblies spake often one to another with Gods good approvement Mal. 3.16 17. yea and so our Saviour practised and his Disciples As for such as question the lawfulness of National Churches they seem to have forgotten the Scriptures that tell us That Christ shall call a Nation that he knew not and Nations that knew not him shall run unto him Isai 55.5 and that Christ sent his Apostles to disciple all Nations who surely therefore might disciple or church whole Nations as they were found complying with them Matt. 28.18 19 20. But were our case such as somtimes Elias supposed his to have been as thank God it is not that we knew none not corrupted in faith and practice from the word of God yet if we accordingly as God is preventing us with light and truth and by his spirit is therein enlightning and moving at our hearts as we shewed in the beginning of this discourse that wisdome is preventing men generally with her calls and counsels do yield up our hearts to God and as our Saviour saith do his will in what He makes clear and evident to us to be his will He will further instruct and teach us of his mind and we shall know the doctrines proposed to us whether they be of God or of men John 7.17 and walking in the light as God gives it forth to us and is in it we shall not fail to be of the true Church and to partake of the prayers and grace of it through Christ though we may be at some loss where to find it or the members of it Come we then to the testimony of God and close we with the light and truth He therein and thereby manifests unto us and we shall be in the way to get this wisdome for the testimony of God is sure when mens pretensions and boastings that they are the Church may deceive us The entrance ●…f Gods word giveth light and it giveth understanding too so as to make wise the simple Psal 19.7 and 119.130 so as to Salvation of which some mistakes through infirmity weakness of sight shall not deprive us But withal Go to them that sell Go to God in and by Christ Jesus in the operation guidance of his holy Spirit by earnest Prayer and Supplication as it is said If any man lack wisdome let him ask it of God who giveth to all men liberally and upbraideth not and it shall be given him but let him ask in faith nothing doubting Jam. 1.5 6. Ask ye and ye shall receive for every one that asketh receiveth Matt. 7.7 8. Thus the Spouse addressed herself to her Beloved Tell thou me O thou whom my soul loveth where thou feedest and where thou causest thy flock to